Chapter 8
Ocean Acoustic
Tomography
From a Stormy Start to an
Uncertain Future
WALTER MUNK
To understand the ocean, its dynamics, its role in climate, weather and other
ocean-atmosphere phenomena, one must observe it on a basin-wide scale with
adequate time and space resolution.
1
INTRODUCTION
This is the story of the marriage of two disciplines: physical oceanography and ocean
acoustics. It was a marriage of convenience, but with mutual respect, even love. I have
spent the first thirty happy years of my career without much contact with acoustics,
so it was a late learning experience.
This is a personal account, with no claim of historical accuracy and completeness. I have relied largely on my increasingly leaky memory. But I have tried to
Walter Munk, Secretary of the Navy Chair, Oceanography.
119
Ocean Acoustic
Tomography
From a Stormy Start to an
Uncertain Future
WALTER MUNK
To understand the ocean, its dynamics, its role in climate, weather and other
ocean-atmosphere phenomena, one must observe it on a basin-wide scale with
adequate time and space resolution.
1
INTRODUCTION
This is the story of the marriage of two disciplines: physical oceanography and ocean
acoustics. It was a marriage of convenience, but with mutual respect, even love. I have
spent the first thirty happy years of my career without much contact with acoustics,
so it was a late learning experience.
This is a personal account, with no claim of historical accuracy and completeness. I have relied largely on my increasingly leaky memory. But I have tried to
Walter Munk, Secretary of the Navy Chair, Oceanography.
119